1961 ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA SZ CODA TONDA

French title
Chassis n° AR-10126-00051
Engine n° AR-00120-00175

• Rare Zagato version
• Fully restored
• Eligible for the biggest international events

After a disappointing adventure with a Lancia B20, Bruno Lafourcade refused to remain disheartened, and set out in search of an Italian with a more sporting temperament. «In 2012, we came across this "Coda Tonda" (round tail) being restored by a specialist in Italy», remembers François Chevalier. «It had come from England. The car had never been raced but it was quite tired» recalls François, a lifelong friend of Lafourcade. A British registration document coming with this Alfa Romeo, registered 958 HYK, allowed the history to be traced up to the previous owner, a certain Mr C. who had owned the car since 1983.
Among other documents supplied with the car is an interesting letter from Alfa Romeo’s Heritage department, confirming that chassis AR- 00051 corresponds to a red Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ (1001.26), completed on 29 September 1960 and sold on 23 December 1960 to Thomson & Taylor, based in Byfleet (GB). And so, Bruno Lafourcade decided to buy this elegant car, ideal for fast-paced road trips. The little Giulietta is equipped with removable tubular bumpers intended to preserve its delicate aluminium bodywork when being used on the road, as Bruno liked to do.
The sporting career of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta began as soon as the model was launched. It didn’t take Alfa Romeo long to offer sporting enthusiasts the Giulietta Sprint Veloce. Then came the need to build further radical versions with more aerodynamic, lightweight coachwork. This Alfa Romeo Sprint Zagato (SZ), built on the platform of the short wheelbase Spider, was equipped with the classic four-cylinder, twin-cam 1300cc engine that produced 116 bhp. This genuine race car, designed by Elio Zagato, weighed just 785 kg and could reach the «magical» speed of 200 km/h with ease.
One of just 200 examples built, this Alfa Romeo Giulietta «Coda Tonda» has covered less than 1000 km in Les Alpilles since its restoration. Eligible for the best historic events, rare and elegant, this Alfa Romeo offers a unique opportunity to drive a car wearing a Z for Zagato.

The auction of this lot will take place on Friday 18 March.
https://www.artcurial.com/fr/lot-1961-alfa-romeo-giulietta-sz-coda-tonda-4134-119